Resultados das sondaxes nun xacemento atípico da Idade do Ferro: Pena Redonda (Pontecaldelas, Pontevedra)

Abstract

The settlement site of Pena Redonda was firstly known in 1981 after an unauthorized excavation that revealed the remains of a round hut and associated materials, belonging to the phases I and II of the Castros Culture (800-400 BC / 400-100 BC). The main singularity of the site comes from the atypical location, in the flat highlands and at the bottom of a small hill. This placement, together with the abundance of rock carvings, constitute a typical Bronze Age landscape rather than an Iron Age one; besides, the site itself lacks the characteristic shape of a hillfort. The archaeological excavation of two huts, previously affected by the illicit works, documented the existence of a long term occupation of the site throughout the phases I and II, which discards the possibility of a seasonal or short term use of the site and poses the question of the selection of this specific location. The historical density of the surroundings and the particular conditions of the natural environment are both factors to be considered. The absence of archaeological contexts following the II century BC (which allowed a good preservation of the preroman remains) remarks the interest of this site.